@}~~{}~~~
Craig lay down on his couch trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. He didn't understand anything that was happening. He was overwhelmed by his emotions.
An hour after Manny had visited; Lina knocked on Craig's door then let herself in when he didn't answer. "Craig, we need to talk," Lina said with tears in her eyes. She walked in and stood in the middle of the room. He was silent. "I said we need to talk," she repeated.
"Are you alright?" Craig asked sitting up and trying to calm his pounding headache.
"It's about Manny," she said. Craig's heart raced. "That's short for Manuella isn't it?" she asked. He didn't answer, but he stood up. "Isn't it?" she asked again nearly shouting. He nodded slowly. "She's the same Manuella you used to call everyday......until we decided you should stop."
"You mean you decided," he said bitterly. He never forgot that night or completely forgave her for that matter.
(*Flashback*)
Craig picked up his phone to call Manny. It was March and he wanted to visit her for Spring Break. Lina took the phone from his hand and hung it up.
"I think you should stop calling her," Lina demanded.
"But she's my friend. I've known her forever," he said picking up the phone again. This time she took it and slammed it into the receiver.
"If you want me to keep this baby, you will never call her again," she said with threatening eyes.
"You can't mean that?" Craig asked shaking his head picking up the phone.
"I do. I'll go to the clinic tomorrow," she said looking him in the eye.
"But Lina?" he asked shaking his head.
"Do not test me," she said sternly. He hesitated then hung up the phone. The last thing Craig needed was two aborted babies on his conscience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*end*
"Why didn't I see it before?" she asked herself out loud. "I was so blind."
"Does it matter?" he asked coldly. She looked up at him.
"You love her," she stated so sadly that he softened. He didn't know what to say. "I could tell when you would talk to her.......laughing and smiling and.......I couldn't stand it. It hurt so much." He sat down beside her. "Our wedding's tomorrow Craig."
"I know," he said. "Most of my friends should arrive tonight."
"Is the only reason you're marrying me because of the baby?" she asked already knowing the answer. He didn't answer again.
(*Flashback*)
There was a knock on Craig's door at three in the morning. He woke up and answered it unable to open his eyes. "Craig? It's Lina" Lina said.
"Um......what is it Lina?" Craig asked checking the clock on wall.
"We have to talk," she said.
"Can it wait? It's really really early in the morning and I have to get up at......."
"No. It can't wait," she said. She walked into his apartment and sat on the couch.
"Come on in," he said sarcastically. He shut the door and rubbed his eyes.
"Craig? Remember that night we both got drunk at the frat party?" Lina asked with a worried look on her face.
"What's the matter?" Craig asked.
"Well, I'm pregnant Craig," she stated.
"You're what?!?!?!" Craig exclaimed. He thought about those words and questioned, "Do you know who the father is?"
"Um.......you are," she said.
"That's impossible," Craig said trying to remember. "I recall taking you back to your room. We kissed," he said closing his eyes to think. "But I don't remember much after that. I thought I passed out on your bed. I was so drunk."
"We had sex," she said simply.
"Are you sure?" he asked bewildered. "I woke up with all my clothes on. It was a blur, but I think I'd recall having sex with someone. Was I that gone?"
"I'm sure," she answered. "We're having a baby."
"Maybe we should get some tests done," Craig said unsure of the whole ordeal. "I........."
"Is that all you have to say? What kind of person are you? It's you Craig. You're the father," Lina said crying hysterically. Craig's eyes grew wide. He hardly knew this girl. She started following him around after he sat by her in Chemistry class. She was pretty so she got his attention. She was interested, so he gave it a chance. They didn't have anything in common though. He stopped calling her, but she didn't take the hint. One day out of no where, she invited him to a frat party and insisted he come. He tried to get out of it, but she was so persistent. She brought him back to her place afterwards and he couldn't remember much after that. All he could think about was the hangover the day after. Craig sat down. "My parents are going to kill me," Lina continued. She waited for him, but there was no response. "Never mind. I just thought you should know. I'll just leave now." Lina got up, but Craig stopped her.
"Well, don't leave. Let's just think about this," he said trying his hardest to stay calm. "Are your parents really strict?"
"I'd have to get an abortion," she stated.
"Wait. There are other options," Craig said nearly in tears. He thought about Manny and the baby. He shook his head wishing this was Manny with him.
"The only other option is I get married," she said almost smiling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*end*
"You had a miscarriage," Craig said sadly.
"And we were already engaged," she finished. "You met my parents. I met Joey. We were so deep in all this. Did you feel guilty calling it off?" she asked.
"I...........I don't know," Craig couldn't answer again.
"I have a confession," Lina said crying. "Don't hate me Craig," she said. "It's pretty bad. You're going to have to sit down for this."
Craig lay down on his couch trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. He didn't understand anything that was happening. He was overwhelmed by his emotions.
An hour after Manny had visited; Lina knocked on Craig's door then let herself in when he didn't answer. "Craig, we need to talk," Lina said with tears in her eyes. She walked in and stood in the middle of the room. He was silent. "I said we need to talk," she repeated.
"Are you alright?" Craig asked sitting up and trying to calm his pounding headache.
"It's about Manny," she said. Craig's heart raced. "That's short for Manuella isn't it?" she asked. He didn't answer, but he stood up. "Isn't it?" she asked again nearly shouting. He nodded slowly. "She's the same Manuella you used to call everyday......until we decided you should stop."
"You mean you decided," he said bitterly. He never forgot that night or completely forgave her for that matter.
(*Flashback*)
Craig picked up his phone to call Manny. It was March and he wanted to visit her for Spring Break. Lina took the phone from his hand and hung it up.
"I think you should stop calling her," Lina demanded.
"But she's my friend. I've known her forever," he said picking up the phone again. This time she took it and slammed it into the receiver.
"If you want me to keep this baby, you will never call her again," she said with threatening eyes.
"You can't mean that?" Craig asked shaking his head picking up the phone.
"I do. I'll go to the clinic tomorrow," she said looking him in the eye.
"But Lina?" he asked shaking his head.
"Do not test me," she said sternly. He hesitated then hung up the phone. The last thing Craig needed was two aborted babies on his conscience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~*end*
"Why didn't I see it before?" she asked herself out loud. "I was so blind."
"Does it matter?" he asked coldly. She looked up at him.
"You love her," she stated so sadly that he softened. He didn't know what to say. "I could tell when you would talk to her.......laughing and smiling and.......I couldn't stand it. It hurt so much." He sat down beside her. "Our wedding's tomorrow Craig."
"I know," he said. "Most of my friends should arrive tonight."
"Is the only reason you're marrying me because of the baby?" she asked already knowing the answer. He didn't answer again.
(*Flashback*)
There was a knock on Craig's door at three in the morning. He woke up and answered it unable to open his eyes. "Craig? It's Lina" Lina said.
"Um......what is it Lina?" Craig asked checking the clock on wall.
"We have to talk," she said.
"Can it wait? It's really really early in the morning and I have to get up at......."
"No. It can't wait," she said. She walked into his apartment and sat on the couch.
"Come on in," he said sarcastically. He shut the door and rubbed his eyes.
"Craig? Remember that night we both got drunk at the frat party?" Lina asked with a worried look on her face.
"What's the matter?" Craig asked.
"Well, I'm pregnant Craig," she stated.
"You're what?!?!?!" Craig exclaimed. He thought about those words and questioned, "Do you know who the father is?"
"Um.......you are," she said.
"That's impossible," Craig said trying to remember. "I recall taking you back to your room. We kissed," he said closing his eyes to think. "But I don't remember much after that. I thought I passed out on your bed. I was so drunk."
"We had sex," she said simply.
"Are you sure?" he asked bewildered. "I woke up with all my clothes on. It was a blur, but I think I'd recall having sex with someone. Was I that gone?"
"I'm sure," she answered. "We're having a baby."
"Maybe we should get some tests done," Craig said unsure of the whole ordeal. "I........."
"Is that all you have to say? What kind of person are you? It's you Craig. You're the father," Lina said crying hysterically. Craig's eyes grew wide. He hardly knew this girl. She started following him around after he sat by her in Chemistry class. She was pretty so she got his attention. She was interested, so he gave it a chance. They didn't have anything in common though. He stopped calling her, but she didn't take the hint. One day out of no where, she invited him to a frat party and insisted he come. He tried to get out of it, but she was so persistent. She brought him back to her place afterwards and he couldn't remember much after that. All he could think about was the hangover the day after. Craig sat down. "My parents are going to kill me," Lina continued. She waited for him, but there was no response. "Never mind. I just thought you should know. I'll just leave now." Lina got up, but Craig stopped her.
"Well, don't leave. Let's just think about this," he said trying his hardest to stay calm. "Are your parents really strict?"
"I'd have to get an abortion," she stated.
"Wait. There are other options," Craig said nearly in tears. He thought about Manny and the baby. He shook his head wishing this was Manny with him.
"The only other option is I get married," she said almost smiling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*end*
"You had a miscarriage," Craig said sadly.
"And we were already engaged," she finished. "You met my parents. I met Joey. We were so deep in all this. Did you feel guilty calling it off?" she asked.
"I...........I don't know," Craig couldn't answer again.
"I have a confession," Lina said crying. "Don't hate me Craig," she said. "It's pretty bad. You're going to have to sit down for this."